Invisible Presents Don't Count
by CrookedSpoon
Summary: Ficlet. Oshitari's family gets together for Kenya's birthday, but the birthday boy has different ideas of spending the day.


**Title**: Invisible Presents Don't Count  
**Characters/Pairings:** Oshitari Yuushi, Kenya  
**Rating**: G  
**Word Count:** 788  
**Warnings**: Music genre bashing.  
**Disclaimer**: Standard disclaimers apply.  
**Notes**: Written for LJ comm 100prompts (prompt #69 "Celebration"), inspired by Kenya's birthday on 03/17

_-------_

"What did you bring?" Kenya asked without looking back as he was throwing some lettuce leaves into his iguana's terrarium. It started up at him from behind thick greenery as if wondering about the purpose of its owner's existance. Frankly, Yuushi wondered about the exact same thing from time to time.

"You do know that iceberg lettuce isn't the best of diets for an iguana," Yuushi's nonchallant voice drifted from the doorway he was lounging against. His parents had decided to pay a visit to their relatives in Osaka in time for his cousin's birthday. What a wonderful way to start your spring break! Honestly, it irked Yuushi more to miss the re-run of Pretty Woman, than to spend time with his family.

The way Kenya twisted his neck to shoot him a confused look reminded him of an owl, with the difference that owls probably never looked as ridiculously dumb-founded as his cousin. After two or three seconds of opening and closing his mouth like a fish (or mute canary for that matter), the blond finally offers: "Was your time in Tokyo beneficial in the study of reptiles, Yuu-chan? Or do your friends diet the same way?" He then blinked rapidly in realization. "Don't change the topic, man."

Yuushi chuckled throatily and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Apparently, it still was ever so easy to distract Kenya from the subject of any ongoing conversation even if he didn't really intend to. It shouldn't be too surprising. No matter how fast Naniwa's Speed Star was supposed to be, the impulses in his brain often seemed to take a detour, but Yuushi couldn't blame him. He knew a lot of people like that, and not all of them were impaired by listening to rap on a regular basis. He could only imagine the toll constant exposure to a monotonous beat took on the brain functions.

Kenya approached him, seemingly with the intent of walking over him unless he stepped aside. "I take everything except for one of your freakish romance novels." He smirked into Yuushi's face and poked his forehead. How daring. He wouldn't even let Gakuto get away with that. Woe him that his family was present and that lynching the guest of honor was out of the question. Yuushi shrugged. "How about my well-wishes?"

Kenya guffawed, albeit somewhat dryly, and clapped his hands. "How old-fashioned, Yuu-chan. Some bleach would've been totally fine, I'm not _that_ picky." He tried to suppress a grin as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and sniffed with the face of a bitter old woman. Nice impression, almost. "How about we go outside? Did you bring a racket and clothes? We could play tennis, haven't done that in what seems like a lifetime." Kenya suddenly blurted.  
Yuushi shook his head softly. That was not what he had come here for after all. "All I was told was about this being more or less a 'family festivity.' You don't usually bring your sportsgear unless all of your family is crazy about that particular sport, right?" This was all quite ridiculous, who would travel over 500 km just to play a game against their cousin. Even if both of them were not able to play against friends on a daily basis, Kenya should know better than to challenge him.

Unfazed, Kenya immediately offered one of his rackets and a change of clothes. "We could ring up some of Shitenhouji's regulars. They would be dying to play against you and it wouldn't even be boring for a genius like you." His smirk was somewhat tinged with sarcasm. "Originally, we had planned to hang out together today, but as you see my family hog-tied me, so meeting up became impossible. To think that I would still have to endure coffee parties with my relatives at 15. But with you here, we might stand a chance of being excused."

"Slow down a little. I didn't know you to be such a tattletale." Seriously, the whole trip to his hometown had drained him; he had been looking forward to light conversations with his relatives and maybe curling up with a book if they had squeezed all the information they wanted out of him. Not going out with (knowing Kenya) a bunch of loudmouths, who would be gnawing away the last shreds of nerve he had.

"Kenya!" a shrill voice called. Kenya's head spun to Yuushi, excited expectation written all over it in clear letters. He would rather read a book. "C'mon! Let's go ask her." Without waiting for consent, his cousin grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the door. Yuushi rolled his eyes sighing, already bending his will to fate.


End file.
